Soldier&#39;s field equipment.



N0, 666,ll7. Patented Jan; I5, I901.

vJ. R. M. TAYLOR. SOLDIERS FIELD EQUIPMENT.

(No Model.)

UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. M. TAYLOR, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

.SOLDIERS FIELD EQUIPMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,117, dated January 15, 1901.

Application filed November 17, 1900- Serial No. 36,821- 0 modeL To all whom it flux/y concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. M. TAYLOR, captain, Fourteenth Infantry, United States Army,stationed at Manila,Philippine Islands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soldiers Field Equipments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in field equipments for soldiers; and it consists particularly in certain improved means forsupporting the weight of the cartridge-belt from the shoulders of the wearer, so as to re lieve the weight upon the waist as also the pressure necessary to hold the belt upon the waist of the wearer.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the application and working of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the supporting-hook detached. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the hook. Fig. 4. is an elevation of the eye and its attaching-plate, which is firmly secured to the cartridge-belt for the connection of the hook with the belt.

In the equipment for infantry soldiers commonly in use the haversack and can teen straps are provided with adj ustment-holders for raising or lowering the position of the canteen and haversack. The ends of these straps, which are provided with the adj ustment-holders, extend downwardly in the region of the waist of the wearer, and my invention involves the use of these straps provided with their adjustment-holders as the main support for the belt, and in connection with these straps my invention is used. Ordinarily there are four ends which hang down at various points in the region of the waist of the soldier, and the location of the ends of these straps is convenient and suitable for the purposes of my invention, so that it is not necessary in carrying out my invention to provide extra supporting-straps, which would further cumber the already-cumbered soldier.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a portion of one of the canteen or haversack straps which are commonly used in the equipment of an infantrysoldier. This strap is provided with a succession of openings or for the adjustment of a buckle.

B represents the cartridge-belt, a portion of which only is shown for the purposes of illustration. This cartridge-beltisordinarily of woven canvas, such as is commonly used for carrying rows of cartridges aboutits entire length. The weight of this belt when loaded is quite considerable, and it is the object of my invention to relieve this weight from the waist of the wearer. The belt B is provided at suitable intervals with a plurality of rings or eyes b, which are secured to the belt or formed thereon in any suitable man ner. I prefer, however, to use plates such as B, (shown in Fig. 4: and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) the said plate B being provided with a number of small holes I) for the passage of stitches or small rivets or other fastenings to secure the plate to the belt, and this plate would have formed integral therewith a suitable ring or eye b. The number and the arrangement of these eyes b will depend upon the location of the straps of the equipment, but will ordinarily be two at each side of the wearer.

0 represents the hook, which is used for supporting the belt from the straps, the said book being adapted to engage in the eye 17. The hook O is of peculiar formand comprises a backing-plate C preferably substantially rectangular or oblong in shape, and the hook proper, O, is mounted upon the face of the plate G as seen most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The book 0 has a short shank c, which extends directly away from the face of the plate 0 and the body of the book 0 is arranged substantially parallel with the face of the plate, there being a space of a width substantially equal to the length of the short shank a between the-body of the hook and the face of the plate. The length of the shank a should correspond to the thickness of the strap A and by having the point of the hook proper, 0, passed through one of the openings at in the strap, and the hook is worked through this hole in the strap by being moved in one direction and then in the opposite direction until the shank c of the hook rests in the opening a in the strap A. The backing-plate 0 of the hook is provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed lugs or flanges C these lugs or flang'es beinglocated on opposite sides of the body of the hook proper, C, as seen most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 These lugs C2 inclose the edges of the strap and retain the hook and backing-plate in a substantially rigid relation with respect to the strap. The edges of the strap are readily made to engage beneath the lugs G by reason of the flexibility of the strap, which I backing-plate, a hook proper fixed to one face is ordinarily of leather or canvas. The hook C may be detached or attached to the strap A, as desired, and may be adjusted or readjusted into any one of the succession of openings a in the strap, as circumstances may require or as preferences of the wearer may dictate.

In the foregoing 'it will be seen that I provide an extremely simple, cheap, and efficientmeans for supporting the c,artridge-belt with out adding materially to the weight of the equipment and that, furthermore, there is no necessity for altering any operation of the equipment. The support-rings of eyes b, whether attached by such means as a plate B or attached in any other manner, do not necessitate any alterations in the belt.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a belt-support as part of a soldiers the'port'ion ofthe equipment to be supported arranged to engage said hook, substantially as described.

'2. A detachable hook comprising a fiat of said plate, said hook having a short shank, and the body portion arranged substantially parallel to the face of the plate, substantially as described.

A detachable hook comprising a flat backing-plate, a hook proper fixed to one face of said plate said hook having a short shank extending directly away from the face of said plate and the body portion lying substantially parallel to theface or the plate; and a pa r of oppositely-disposed lugs located at the edges of said plate upon opposite sides of the body of the hook proper and extending above the face of the hook,- substantially as described,

In' testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. M. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

R'oBtr. F. McMILLAN,.

equipment, the combination With a flexible W. A. BURNSELLE. 

